Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Managua Orange.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and referred to by the name xe2x80x98Managua Orangexe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Managua, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,053. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor on Oct. 24, 2001 within a population of plants of the cultivar Managua in a controlled environment in ""s Gravenzande, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in ""s Gravenzande, The Netherlands since Dec. 3, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Managua Orange has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Managua Orangexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Managua Orangexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Daisy type inflorescences with orange-colored ray and green-colored disc florets; typically grown as a spray type.
2. Strong and erect flowering stems.
3. Early flowering response.
4. Good postproduction longevity.
5. Resistant to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the parent, the cultivar Managua, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Managua have orange red-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Tiger, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,064. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in ""s Gravenzande, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Tiger in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Tiger.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Tiger.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had rounded ray florets than plants of the cultivar Tiger.